WASHINGTON — Nearly two years after the deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Senator Mark Warner released a statement saying he stands with the families of those we lost.
Warner said:
Nearly two years ago, white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville to spread a message of bigotry and intolerance. Their hate-fueled rally culminated in the deaths of three Americans – Heather Heyer, who was killed when a white nationalist drove his car into the crowd of counter-protesters, and Lt. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke Bates, who died in a helicopter crash as they tried to bring stability to the city.
As we approach the two-year mark of this tragedy, I stand with the families of those we lost as well as the entire Charlottesville community in denouncing bigotry and radicalism in every form. With hate crimes and white nationalism on the rise, we must work to honor these individuals today and every day by stamping out the voices of hate and prejudice – from those on the streets, to those in positions of power – that undermine the nation we love and the values we believe in. Let us also take a moment to remember and celebrate the lives of Heather Heyer, Lt. Jay Cullen, and Trooper-Pilot Berke Bates by fostering a culture of acceptance and open-mindedness.
On August 12, 2017, a car plowed into a group of people that were marching peacefully through downtown Charlottesville when white nationalists and counterprotesters flooded the area for a "Unite the Right" rally.
The attack killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injured 19 others. James Alex Fields, 20, was driving the car and was arrested by police after the crash.
A vigil was held at UVA the Sunday after the attack in honor of Heyer.
Heather Heyer's mom, Susan Bro, hoped Fields would get a life sentence for what he did to her daughter. She said she didn't want him to get the death penalty because she didn't want people to get the message that it's okay to do this.
Bro said she hoped for the life sentence because he never showed remorse for what he did.
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One of the key issues during the trial was why Fields did what he did. Prosecutors argued Fields acted out of anger while the defense attorney argued his client acted out of fear.
Witnesses said Fields was calm less than 30 minutes before he drove his car into the crowd of counterprotesters.
Fields pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crimes and was sentenced to life in prison in June.
In July, Fields was sentenced to a second life sentence in prison plus 419 years on state charges. The state sentencing was mainly symbolic because he already received one life sentence on the federal charges.